When the creators of arguably the funniest and consistently creative show in TV history release a whiskey, you’d be forgiven for assuming it was all a big joke. Especially when that show is Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and the reprehensible crew of misanthropes and sociopaths happen to run a sketchy Irish pub, Paddy’s.
But Four Walls Irish Whiskey begs you to reconsider your preconceptions.
The twisted minds behind what we consider the pinnacle of dark, super fucked up comedy — Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day — tap their alter egos’ Philly tableau to craft a duo of limited edition Irish and Irish/American whiskies that are not only shockingly delicious, but also born of very non-Always Sunny compassion — with all proceeds donated to the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association’s HARP initiative to help Covid-crippled bars, bartenders and staff.
“We wanted to create a brand celebrating the four walls that have held our favorite memories in and kept our troubles out,” says Glenn.
“We were shooting Season 15 when bars were shutting down all across America,” continues Rob. “So we decided to source some really great whiskeys and create something as a tribute to the bar and kick it off by giving back.”
“We learned just how rare and how collectible old Irish Whiskey is, and we couldn’t believe we got our hands on some,” adds Charlie. “[So we] wanted to release it and do something for the people and places that do so much for all of us: the bars and the bartenders.”
In reality the fact that Four Walls is this well-crafted and elevated is right on brand, for while Always Sunny on the surface might appear crude, what these gents have created (along with Sweet Dee, Frank, Rickety Cricket, etc.) is nothing short of a twisted, debauched comedy cathedral where dumpster babies, bird law, PCP-induced romances and absurd Machiavellian scheming elevate to Oscar Wilde levels of wit. So should it really surprise if their whiskey is top notch?
The first more accessible release starts with hand-selected barrels of grain and malt Irish whiskeys and blends them with Pennsylvania Straight Rye for a new Paddy’s Pub-approved Irish and American tradition. Like the HARP charity it benefits, this Four Walls was born with bartenders in mind as the potent 90-proof spirit still holds its own profile in cocktails.
Stans can get their hands on a bottle at events like The Always Sunny Podcast being filmed live on September 17 at the Bourbon and Beyond festival in Louisville, Kentucky, or the following day at the Met Philadelphia where they’ll film another episode.
It is the much rarer version of Four Walls that makes Maxim’s Spirit of the Week, however. The gang bottled 15-year-old single-barrel, cask-strength (57.8% ABV) Irish Whiskey to celebrate the record-breaking 15th season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (the longest-running live-action sitcom in TV history), as well as the success of the It’s Always Sunny podcast (the No. 1 comedy podcast across all platforms).
Four Walls Cask Strength Single Barrel Collector’s Edition (15YO) comes beautifully packaged in an engraved, gold mirrored wooden box. While the first box in the collection recently fetched $100,000 for their charity, only 754 other bottles are available for $999. The Nightman Cometh!
Follow our Contributing Spirits Editor on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.
